As they reached home, Ashton didn’t give Vivie a moment to react before he swept her up into his arms, carrying her effortlessly through the grand entrance of the mansion. A startled gasp left her lips as she clung to his shoulders, her wide eyes searching his face for an explanation. But the dark, smoldering look in his eyes told her everything.

“Ashton—” she started, her voice breathless, but he silenced her with a firm squeeze around her waist.

“The only important thing tonight,” he murmured, voice husky, “is you.”

Her heart pounded as he strode purposefully to his room, kicking the door shut behind them. The air between them crackled with tension, thick with an unspoken hunger. He set her down on the plush bed, his hands lingering on her waist as he gazed down at her like a predator savoring his prey. Then, slowly, deliberately, he removed his coat, tossing it aside without care.

Vivie swallowed hard, pressing her palms against the bed for support as she shifted under his intense stare. “But your work—”

Ashton let out a low chuckle, unbuttoning the top of his shirt as he stepped closer. “Work can wait. I’ve been waiting for this moment all day.”

Her breath hitched when he leaned down, pressing one knee onto the bed, trapping her beneath him. His fingers traced the curve of her jaw before tilting her chin up, forcing her to meet his heated gaze. And then he kissed her.

It was no soft, hesitant kiss. It was possessive, claiming, filled with a hunger that left her reeling. His lips moved against hers with urgency, his hands already working their way down her sides, exploring, memorizing. She let out a soft moan against his lips, her fingers tangling in his shirt, pulling him closer.

“Ashton,” she gasped when he pulled back just enough to look at her, his eyes dark with desire.

“I love the way you say my name like that,” he murmured against her lips before capturing them again, his body pressing her deeper into the mattress. His hands roamed lower, his fingers teasing against her skin, drawing shivers that made her toes curl.

Every touch, every kiss, every heated whisper sent her spiraling deeper into a world where only the two of them existed. The night stretched on, passion unfurling between them like wildfire. There were no inhibitions, no hesitations—only them, tangled in a feverish dance of need and devotion.

Ashton’s fingers traced every inch of her, learning her, worshiping her. He took his time, coaxing out every reaction, relishing in every gasp, every shudder that coursed through her. He kissed down her neck, trailing fire along her skin, his breath hot, his hands firm and unyielding. Vivie arched beneath him, her body pleading for more, her heart pounding so loud she could barely think.

The moon hung high in the sky, casting silver light through the windows, illuminating their entwined bodies. Ashton moved with a sensual slowness, savoring every moment, every gasp, every whisper of his name on her lips. He kissed her, worshiped her, unraveled her piece by piece until she was left breathless and clinging to him.

He didn't stop, didn't let her go, not even when exhaustion started creeping in. His lips traced along her collarbone, his hands mapping her curves as if committing them to memory. When she whimpered his name, breathless and undone, he captured her lips again, swallowing her sounds, pulling her deeper into the abyss of pleasure he created for her.

And even as dawn approached, as their bodies lay tangled in sheets, as the first hints of morning light seeped through the curtains, Ashton pulled her close, his lips brushing against her temple. “I’m not done with you yet,” he murmured, his voice thick with lingering desire.

Vivie smiled, her heart full, her body spent, as she whispered back, “Good. Because neither am I.”

He growled low in his throat, his hands slipping down her body again, his hunger for her insatiable. And as the sun rose outside, the night between them bled into the morning, filled with stolen kisses, whispered promises, and a love that neither of them could deny.